Crystal Renn Takes over the Fashion World

I was browsing the Ford Models website and stumbled upon some photos of plus size model Crystal Renn in this month's Tush Magazine. You probably recognize her from the infamous "One Size Fits All" editorial found in V Magazine we blogged about earlier this year. As a teen Crystal suffered from anorexia and forced herself to loose 90lbs so she could become a model! However, in 2003 she decided to give up the excessive dieting and switched to plus size modeling, in which her success came almost instantly! (Read her full bio here.)

Here are some shots of Crystal... I love how confident and strong she appears in every single one of her photos.


Crystal Renn | Tush (Photography: Armin Morbach)

This next one is so elegant...



I'm lovin the attitude in this last one!

These gorgeous images make me feel sad to think that Crystal was originally told to shed ten inches off her hips. Why would you want to change someone who is so beautiful?

Recently, Crystal Renn took the fashion world by surprise when she walked for the Chanel Resort 2011 show. This news came somewhat of a shock to me since it was Karl Lagerfeld who notably stated "No one wants to see round women." Here are some photos from the show...






At the moment, the fashion world seems to be obsessed with the return of curves. Let's just hope this switch towards a healthier ideal sticks around. In the future I hope that seeing a plus sized model in a high fashion setting will not be as much of a surprise......

The Ford website says that 2010 is Crystal's year... So I look forward to seeing more of her work!

xox Katie-Lu

Fashion News: Calvin is Done with Size Zero

In the past few years, the high fashion scene in NY, London, Milan and Paris has had many underweight and underage models walk down the runways during Fashion Week(s). It is quite normal for most runway models to be about 5'11'' and a size zero. Some girls are this thin naturally, but lets face it, most aren't.



Thankfully, American designer Calvin Klein has taken a step in the right direction to change the health issues regarding size within the fashion industry.

According to Fashionologie, the creative director of Calvin Klein, Francisco Costa, has done away with casting size 0 models and is reportedly committed to only casting models who are size 2-4.

Francisco Costa (CK creative director)

Of course, increasing the standards to sizes 2-4 aren't in any way a big change, but this does allow flexibility for models and takes off some of the pressure that is put on these young girls to be super thin.

Booking the Calvin Klein show is one of the most prestigious jobs a model can have during NY fashion week, so maybe this change will be a good motivator for some models to maintain a healthier lifestyle?

Maybe other designers will follow Costa's lead and help solidify this change for the industry?

Who knows. I hope so.

XX Meggasus

Victoria's Secret Angels Take Over Prada Show

A few weeks ago, I wrote a blog post about how Miranda Kerr is going from having a strictly commercial career to having a more "high fash" one. Well, after taking a look at the casting of Prada this season, it seems like other VS models are getting this opportunity as well.

So while I was in Art History the other day my professor who thinks he is a rock star went on a tangent about something insignificant to our midterm exam so I decided to check my twitter, of course. Like the fashion nerd I am, I follow MissDK (aka Victoria's Secret angel, Doutzen Kroes). My jaw dropped when she twittered that she was walking in the Prada show!! Later, I found out that other VS angels were cast in the show as well...Alessandra Ambrosio and Miranda Kerr.

Check out the transformations from commercial to high fash!!

Alessandra for VS

Alessandra for Prada

Doutzen (aka MissDK) for Victoria's Secret
Doutzen for Prada

Miranda Kerr for Victoria's Secret

Miranda Kerr for PradaSo what does this commercial model take-over mean? I'm hoping it means that the high fashion world is becoming more open to having varying body types on the runway. In this case, Miuccia Prada seems to be demonstrating a new appreciation for models who are more curvy and healthy.

Not only did the show cast VS girls, but many of the models in this season's show are known to be on the "bigger" side....like Lara Stone and Catherine McNeil.

Lara Stone at Prada...size 4 or 6

Catherine McNeil

Is this a sign that sign that the industry is going to start embracing a more healthy, realistic standard for runway models? Let's hope so. The VS girls at Prada prove you can look amazing on the runway and show off the clothes beautifully without being frighteningly emaciated.

Although I think the cast at Prada marks a step in the right direction, I think there is one more thing that could have been done to prove they are ready to make some serious changes.

Doutzen, Miranda, Alessandra, Lara and Catherine are all established models who are respected throughout the industry and have successful careers. Next season, I hope to see a NEW FACE who is unestablished and a healthy SIZE FOUR or even SIX, sweep up the show season and take the industry by storm. Better yet, multiple new faces who meet this criteria would be even better.

Coco Urges the Industry to Change

As I mentioned in one of my previous posts (See the Best of the Zeros According to Meggasus) Coco Rocha is my favorite model of all time. Her editorials are always so expressive...full of energy and spirit. She's been on top for awhile now, and two years ago she spoke out at the CFDA conference about the pressures that she and other models are put under to stay thin...stating that her agency once told her "the look this year is anorexia...we don't want you to be anorexic but that's just what we want you to look like."


Recently, there has been more discussion about Coco's current figure and that her demand in the industry has decreased. On February 18th, Coco released this statement on her blog speaking up for herself and urging the industry to change once and for all. Here is her full statement below:

There has been quite the commotion over the recent articles about me in the New York Times and The New York Daily News. As only a few select statements of mine were printed I find it necessary to properly express my point of view, without outside editing.

I’m a 21 year old model, 6 inches taller and 10 sizes smaller than the average American woman. Yet in another parallel universe I’m considered “fat”… This was the subject of major discussion this week and the story that was spun was: “Coco Rocha is too fat for the runway”.

Is that the case? No. I am still used and in demand as a model. In fact I find myself busier than ever. In the past few years I have not gained an extreme amount of weight, only an inch here and there as any young woman coming out of her teenage years would.

But this issue of model’s weight is, and always has been, of concern to me. There are certain moral decisions which seem like no brainers to us. For example, not employing children in sweatshops, and not increasing the addictiveness of cigarettes. When designers, stylists or agents push children to take measures that lead to anorexia or other health problems in order to remain in the business, they are asking the public to ignore their moral conscience in favor of the art.

Surely, we all see how morally wrong it is for an adult to convince an already thin 15 year old that she is actually too fat. It is unforgivable that an adult should demand that the girl unnaturally lose the weight vital to keep her body functioning properly. How can any person justify an aesthetic that reduces a woman or child to an emaciated skeleton? Is it art? Surely fashion’s aesthetic should enhance and beautify the human form, not destroy it.